Chris Christie is better in person than on camera.
On camera he appears not particularly different than most of the other Republicans. He appears to believe mostly the same things they do, with tiny variations around the margins:
He supports allowing early term abortions in the event of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
He emphasizes that he is an "outsider" because he is not a senator and because he is Republican in a blue state who got nearly half the votes of Hispanics.
Defund Planned Parenthood.
Strong defense, bigger army and navy and air force, more troops, because strength means peace, because our opponents know we mean business.
He said he learned the lesson of being close to ones opponents because "it is hard to hate up close", and therefore Obama failed badly because Boehner had not been in Air Force One until just recently.
The Town Meeting was set up for about 300 people, with standing room. The seats were all taken by an hour before the event. By 6:00 p.m. start time there were about 200 more people than the venue could accommodate, and standing room extended way back into the fringes.
But what is noteworthy about Chris Christie is his retail skills, his eye contact, his outpouring of empathy. He started the Town Meeting with a bit of speechifying, introducing his wife, criticizing Obama, demonstrating that he is a conservative Republican with all the usual positions. But he quickly went to Q and A, noting that he had nothing to fear from questions, that he would answer them bluntly and honestly.
The thing that was noteworthy about the Town Hall presentation was how successfully he framed and translated his blunt New Jersey style into proof of his authenticity, I am what I am, what you see is what you get. Christie, in person, absolutely commands the stage, and projects leadership and strength. By sharing elements of his life he frames that strength as something genuine, non-narcissistic, and a benefit for America.
He explained his opposition to abortion as an epiphany that came from the awe inspiring moment when he heard his daughter's heartbeat in utero at three months. He explained his success in New Jersey by having grown up in a boisterous family. He made joking reference to his size. He engaged a 2nd grader who asked about education by telling her how much her parents loved her and that that is why he trusted parents, not presidents, to make school choices for the girl (thus getting in his support for charter schools and home schools and vouchers not as policy positions but as his expression of a parent's natural love of their children.)
The skill of making policy points as an expression of authentic human emotion, emotions which he legitimately feels, as contrasted with making policy points as a checklist of positions held, is the skill which will make Christie very, very formidable in a debate or joint appearance forum with a small number of people, and especially in contrast to Hillary. Hillary probably is not a natural in this area. Christie is undoubtably well practiced, but he is a natural.
He concluded the Town Meeting with a story about his mother that was genuinely touching. He gave a shout out to his aged father, then said that his mother was a lifelong smoker and was diagnosed at age 72 with lung cancer. He said the disease progressed quickly and when he was on business in the west coast he got a call from his brother saying that his mother had taken a very bad turn for the worse and was in the hospital and he should come home. He took the red-eye and came to the hospital directly from the airport. On arrival at her hospital bed she awoke and woozily asked what day it was. Christie said he told her it was Friday. What time is it, she asked. Morning, he said. Christie then said she told him, "Go to work." Christie said he said he would just sit here with her. He said she told him to go to work, that that was was his job was, go to work. Then he quoted her saying, "We've said everything that needs to be said. Go to work."
Christie tells the story in a way that gets a hushed house.
He then says that he is blunt because he learned his mother's lesson. Tell it all, get everything out, tell people what you believe, don't hedge or obfuscate, just say it. People will either be generally OK with it, or not, but then you can live or die knowing you have said all that needs to be said. So that is why I am frank and blunt because that is who I am, how I was brought up, he said.
It was a very powerful frame.
At no point in this story did he say "And look how different that is from Hillary!" But the just-say-it, get it all out there story as an explanation for his authentic bluntness and honesty creates a difficult comparison for Hillary.
I suppose, after a long campaign, Christie will get beat up enough that he will be busy explaining problems (New Jersey bond ratings, Bridgegate aides, etc.) but I am imagining a head to head joint appearance against Hillary and I think that people will prefer Christie. It worries me to say it, but he is likable.
I will attach some videos and photos, which will give a taste of his manner.
On camera he appears not particularly different than most of the other Republicans. He appears to believe mostly the same things they do, with tiny variations around the margins:
He supports allowing early term abortions in the event of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
He emphasizes that he is an "outsider" because he is not a senator and because he is Republican in a blue state who got nearly half the votes of Hispanics.
Defund Planned Parenthood.
Strong defense, bigger army and navy and air force, more troops, because strength means peace, because our opponents know we mean business.
He said he learned the lesson of being close to ones opponents because "it is hard to hate up close", and therefore Obama failed badly because Boehner had not been in Air Force One until just recently.
The Town Meeting was set up for about 300 people, with standing room. The seats were all taken by an hour before the event. By 6:00 p.m. start time there were about 200 more people than the venue could accommodate, and standing room extended way back into the fringes.
But what is noteworthy about Chris Christie is his retail skills, his eye contact, his outpouring of empathy. He started the Town Meeting with a bit of speechifying, introducing his wife, criticizing Obama, demonstrating that he is a conservative Republican with all the usual positions. But he quickly went to Q and A, noting that he had nothing to fear from questions, that he would answer them bluntly and honestly.
The thing that was noteworthy about the Town Hall presentation was how successfully he framed and translated his blunt New Jersey style into proof of his authenticity, I am what I am, what you see is what you get. Christie, in person, absolutely commands the stage, and projects leadership and strength. By sharing elements of his life he frames that strength as something genuine, non-narcissistic, and a benefit for America.
He explained his opposition to abortion as an epiphany that came from the awe inspiring moment when he heard his daughter's heartbeat in utero at three months. He explained his success in New Jersey by having grown up in a boisterous family. He made joking reference to his size. He engaged a 2nd grader who asked about education by telling her how much her parents loved her and that that is why he trusted parents, not presidents, to make school choices for the girl (thus getting in his support for charter schools and home schools and vouchers not as policy positions but as his expression of a parent's natural love of their children.)
The skill of making policy points as an expression of authentic human emotion, emotions which he legitimately feels, as contrasted with making policy points as a checklist of positions held, is the skill which will make Christie very, very formidable in a debate or joint appearance forum with a small number of people, and especially in contrast to Hillary. Hillary probably is not a natural in this area. Christie is undoubtably well practiced, but he is a natural.
He concluded the Town Meeting with a story about his mother that was genuinely touching. He gave a shout out to his aged father, then said that his mother was a lifelong smoker and was diagnosed at age 72 with lung cancer. He said the disease progressed quickly and when he was on business in the west coast he got a call from his brother saying that his mother had taken a very bad turn for the worse and was in the hospital and he should come home. He took the red-eye and came to the hospital directly from the airport. On arrival at her hospital bed she awoke and woozily asked what day it was. Christie said he told her it was Friday. What time is it, she asked. Morning, he said. Christie then said she told him, "Go to work." Christie said he said he would just sit here with her. He said she told him to go to work, that that was was his job was, go to work. Then he quoted her saying, "We've said everything that needs to be said. Go to work."
Christie tells the story in a way that gets a hushed house.
He then says that he is blunt because he learned his mother's lesson. Tell it all, get everything out, tell people what you believe, don't hedge or obfuscate, just say it. People will either be generally OK with it, or not, but then you can live or die knowing you have said all that needs to be said. So that is why I am frank and blunt because that is who I am, how I was brought up, he said.
It was a very powerful frame.
At no point in this story did he say "And look how different that is from Hillary!" But the just-say-it, get it all out there story as an explanation for his authentic bluntness and honesty creates a difficult comparison for Hillary.
I suppose, after a long campaign, Christie will get beat up enough that he will be busy explaining problems (New Jersey bond ratings, Bridgegate aides, etc.) but I am imagining a head to head joint appearance against Hillary and I think that people will prefer Christie. It worries me to say it, but he is likable.
I will attach some videos and photos, which will give a taste of his manner.
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| Christie at a Town Meeting of about 500 visitors |
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